In the Pipeline vs Lined Up: C1 Idioms

0:00 In the pipeline means something is still in development or progress, working its way through different stages before it's finished or ready. It's not ready yet, but it's actively being worked on. For example, we've got a new series on football idioms in the pipeline. Lined up, on the other hand, means something is already fully arranged and ready to go, just waiting for its turn, like a queue. For example, I've got a few interviews lined up for next week. So the core difference in the pipeline is still cooking, still being prepared while lined up is already plated and ready to be served.

0:30 One's about the process of getting ready. The other's about already being ready and waiting. Right. Right. Could you please, you know, this always helps a lot getting some real examples from dictionaries like the Cambridge online dictionary and the Longman online dictionary. Could you do that for us?

0:53 Here they are for your audience. Cambridge on in the pipeline. 28 lawsuits were filed this week and another 200 cases are in the pipeline. And for lined up, a really fitting one from Oxford. Mark had a job lined up when he left college. And I've got a lot lined up this week, meaning very busy.

1:11 That second one especially matches how you'd use it about your channel. Could you please pull up some other dictionary examples? Here's a good one from Longman for your audience. More job losses are in the pipeline. And another Mr. Sherwood said other cooperative initiatives were in the pipeline.

1:28 Both show it used for plans still developing not yet finished. Right. So in the pipeline something that's being developed something almost small tweak. It's something that's being developed still in progress not finished yet. Like more job losses are in the pipeline. It means they're coming.

1:47 Still working their way through the process. Yeah, that's what I meant to say. Maybe you got me wrong. Something that's being de something that's being developed. Sorry, you're making me nervous. Ah, sorry.

2:01 No need to be nervous. My mistake for jumping ahead. You had it exactly right. In the pipeline means something that's being developed, still in progress. Take your time. Something else we mentioned in a previous discussion is that when we talk about something being in the pipeline, it's something that usually it has to be something that needs to go through several stages to be ready.

2:30 Exactly right. That's the core image. Something moving through a process, several stages before it comes out the other end finished and ready. That's exactly why it fits things like new products, plans, or projects so well since those naturally involve multiple steps. Right. And what about to be lined up if something is lined up for someone, for example?

2:57 Exactly. I've got a job lined up or I've got a few interviews lined up for next week already arranged, ready and waiting. No more steps needed before it happens. Right. So to be lined up has to do more with readiness, right? Something being ready, something being arranged or organized for someone.

3:22 Exactly right. Lined up is all about readiness and arrangement. Things already sorted out and just waiting for their turn. No more steps needed. Nice clean summary. Yeah.

3:33 So, I think that In the previous discussion, we talked about this idea of being lined up. We actually we talked about a mental picture of for example things on a shelf. Things being lined up on a shelf. That'll be like the concrete. I mean the literal sense of being lined up, right? So these things being lined up on a shelf as well products ready to be bought by people, right?

4:13 For example. Exactly right. That's a great concrete image. Things literally arranged in a row on a shelf all set and ready waiting for someone to come along and pick them. That literal sense of physically arranging things in a line is exactly where the figurative meaning comes from. Plans or people lined up the same way products sit ready on a shelf just waiting for their turn.

4:37 Yeah, I like that expression. Products sit ready, right? Sit ready on a shelf, you said. Exactly. Sit ready on a shelf. Nice natural way to describe it.

4:48 That image of something just sitting there fully prepared, waiting to be picked up or used whenever it's needed. Great. Great. That's excellent. That's excellent. Nice.

5:00 Great session today, too. You really nailed the contrast between in the pipeline and lined up. Plus, picked up in a bit of a pickle and batch cooking along the way. Want to keep going or wrap up here? No, no, no, no. Let's continue.

5:12 Let's continue. We still need to continue with the live stream. Want a speaking prompt next to keep the momentum going or another idiom set? Maybe. I'm not sure if another idiom but another expression related to in the pipeline and something being lined up something you know good idea here's what's the phrase ah take your time want a hint or shall I just give you the answer straight away since it's getting… To jump in I was just I don't know I just wanted you to continue please go on no worries here it is then it's set in stone meaning something is completely be fixed and unchangeable, final and certain.

5:56 For example, the schedule isn't set in stone yet, so we can still make changes. Or the opposite, once the contract signed, the deal is set in stone. Okay. That something can't be changed. I That's what I Exactly right. That's the core meaning.

6:13 Fixed, final, unchanged. No, you've got a good Sorry. Sorry to jump in. I'm sorry to interrupt you. Yeah. Okay.

6:20 So, what I mean the connection you established between that one to be set in stone and in the pipeline and for something to be lined up is that is a question of being ready. I mean, sorry, could you walk me through that? Sure. Let me walk you through it clearly. All three are about how ready or fixed something is. Just at different points on that scale.

6:53 In the pipeline is the least ready, still being developed, working through stages. Lined up is more ready, fully arranged, and just waiting for its turn. And set in stone is the most fixed of all. Not just ready, but completely unchangeable. No more flexibility left at all. So, you could think of it like a journey.

7:10 Something starts out in the pipeline, gets lined up once it's arranged and ready, and finally becomes set in stone once there's absolutely no room left to change it. Right. Yeah, makes sense. Makes sense. Nice. Glad that clicked.

7:26 Want to try a speaking medium stream going a bit longer. Just you've just used a very interesting word. That's I'm glad that clicked. You said which is something we have discussed before. You know, the idea of something clicking you. And so you might say, "Oh, thank you." Okay.

7:49 I'm I'm glad that clicked or that word clicked for me finally. So, could you tell us a bit more about this word and what it actually means? Good catch. Nice one to revisit. Click used this way means something suddenly makes sense or becomes clear, often after a bit of confusion, like a mental switch flipping on. I didn't get it at first, but after you explained it again, it just clicked.

8:21 It also works for people getting along really well right away. We met and just clicked instantly. So, the core idea is a sudden, satisfying connection, whether that's understanding something or connecting with someone, right? Yeah. Yeah, makes sense. Nice.

8:39 Good little bonus one for the collection. Want to move into that speaking prompt now using in the pipeline lined up and set in stone together or keep adding more expressions first. Yeah, maybe we can keep talking a bit more about that word or that expression something clicking for you and because we did discuss some other related expressions to that one. So, do you remember them? Good memory test for me, too. Let me think back.

9:14 We touched on things like on the tip of my tongue, and it comes back to me for memory struggles. But for that sudden understanding, feeling like click, I don't have a specific related expression pinned to our discussion. Could you remind me which one you're thinking of? All right. All right. Maybe it was in a different conversation.

9:34 I don't know. We've had many conversations. So anyway, the expressions I had in mind are I mean the ones related to clicking of click in that the penny dropped that one. Yes, exactly. The penny dropped. That's the one.

9:55 Very British and it means you finally understood or realised something often after a moment of confusion. It took me a while but the penny finally dropped when he explained it with a diagram. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

10:08 For example, speaking of being British or an expression being British, I've just watched I mean a few days ago, I watched Oasis documentary. I'm not sure on cinemas. Do you know that? Oh, nice. The Oasis documentary. Good timing given the reunion tour buzz, too.

10:29 Was it the one following the band's history or more focused on the recent comeback shows? I think it's the one more focused on the recent comeback shows. That's what you said, isn't it? Yeah, that's what I meant. Focused on the recent reunion and comeback shows rather than a full history piece. Did you enjoy it?

10:50 And any good British expressions pop up in it worth adding to your list? Yeah, I did enjoy it. I did. And actually I brought this up because Liam at some point in the documentary he says well that sorry well the penny dropped or the penny has dropped. The penny has dropped. You know using the present perfect but without pronouncing the h at the beginning of has the auxiliary verb you know for the present perfect so the penny has dropped and it was I think it's a moment in the film in which film sorry documentary in which he mentions…

11:42 He tells or he shares He talks about the death of a of another musician. I'm not sure if you're familiar with that. I'm not sure if this rings any bells to you, Claude. If you know anything about this. I'm not finding anything specific on that moment. Sorry.

12:07 Do you remember which musician he mentioned or roughly what point in the documentary it came up? No, no, no, no. But never mind. Never mind. So the idea was that well he says something like the penny has dropped no more something like this like I mean it was like it was time to I don't know to I think that what he means is that it was time to… To grow up you know and to stop you know messing around with Oasis and you know just do his best in the band.

12:50 I think that's what he means. But anyway, ah, that makes sense. The penny dropped, no more fits perfectly with the meaning. A moment of sudden realization that led to a real shift in attitude, growing up, and taking things seriously rather than messing around. Nice authentic example, too. Straight from Liam himself, using it in that classic drop British way you mentioned.

13:12 Want to fold the penny dropped into a speaking answer now? Maybe alongside in the pipeline, lined up, or set in stone. Actually I was thinking about another or other expressions related to the penny dropped and if some that's an clicking you know when something clicks for you. I think that the other expression we discussed in a previous conversation was I think it was sink in. Yeah sink in. So could you tell us a bit about that?

13:53 Good one. Sync in fits nicely with this group. It means to fully register or be properly understood, but often more gradually than click or the penny dropped. It's about a fact or reality slowly settling into your mind. Sometimes especially true for surprising or emotional news. For example, it hadn't really sunk in that I passed until a few hours later or the news took a while to sink in.

14:14 I just love it how these expressions actually come from a concrete literal context, you know, and they end up being well, they ended up being, you know, these abstract ideas or they ended up describing these abstract mental ideas.

14:42 But Let's let's talk a bit about the origin of the expression sink in. It's a phrasal verb this one, isn't it? It's not an idiom, but a phrasal verb. Exactly. You've spotted something really elegant about English there. And yes, sink in is a phrasal verb, not a fixed idiom.

15:02 Verb plus particle, sink plus in. Literally, sink in describes a liquid gradually being absorbed into a surface like water sinking into soil or rain sinking into the ground. The figurative meaning borrows that same slow gradual absorption except instead of liquid into soil, it's information or reality gradually being absorbed into your mind. Which is exactly why it captures that delayed sinking in slowly feeling so well, unlike the instant snap of the penny dropped or it clicked. Right. Right.

15:33 And what about what images come to mind come to your mind when you think of for example the penny dropped and that something clicked for you? Good question. For the penny dropped, I picture an old slot machine or vending machine. You drop a coin in and there's that brief pause before it actually falls and the mechanism finally works. That little delay before the click of understanding. For something clicked, I picture more of a mechanical snap, like a switch flipping on or a key turning in a lock.

16:09 An immediate and satisfying connection rather than a delay. Yeah, fair enough. Yeah. Yeah. Me, too. Me, too.

16:17 So, huh. Glad we're picturing the same thing. Want to move into a speaking prompt now? Weaving a few of these together or keep the idiom string going a bit longer. Let's keep doing that a bit longer. Right, let's keep going more.

16:31 What's the phrase for finally understanding something after a period of confusion? But more specifically used when you realise the true nature of a situation, often a negative or disappointing one. Take your time. Want a hint? Or shall I just give you this one? Oh, sorry.

16:48 Sorry. I just I've got a kind some kind of problem, you know, because I have to work now. Unfortunately, I will have to leave it here and maybe continue late later on with this because I'm not sure if I told you, but I'm a English teacher. No worries at all. Go teach. That's the real thing.

17:14 This is all prepped for anyway. We'll pick up waking up to reality and the rest whenever you're back. Good luck with your class. Thank you. Thank you. Cheers.

17:22 I will all well try and do my best and we'll keep talking later on. Sounds good. Go smash it and talk soon. Okay, but do something in a minute. Could you summarize this live stream for my audience? Sure.

17:43 Here's a wrap-up for your audience. That's a wrap for tonight's stream. We covered a lot. Bite off more than you can chew. A full set of memory idioms like on the tip of my tongue, ring a bell, draw a blank, and came flooding back. Plus, sudden realization expressions, it clicked, the penny dropped, and sink in.

18:01 We also broke down the difference between in the pipeline, lined up, and set in stone. Thanks for hanging out and being part of the CEFR prep journey. Same time next stream. Good luck with your class. Great. Thank you very much.

18:15 Thank you very much. You're very welcome. Good luck. Huh. Sounds like that one wasn't meant for me. Go teach.

18:22 I'll be here whenever you're back. All right. All right. Talk to you later. Cheers. Bye for now.

18:30 Good luck with your class. Bye for now. Thank you. Thank you very much. You're welcome. All right.

18:36 Let's stop it there. Okay. Two minutes to get started. I would have to leave it here, guys. So talk to you later and I've got some online lessons to teach and I have to, you know, put off this batch cooking for later on. And anyway, so talk to you later.

18:55 Don't forget to like and subscribe and you can find me on Patreon, too. You know, I've got a Patreon there. You'll get early access to content to the content I publish on YouTube and exclusive content you won't find anywhere else. So, Alex's Adventures in English. Anyway, guys, bye-bye. B.